Chapter 41: Divine Fragments
[Welcome Back to Evolution Online]
It felt incredible to be back. Lucien’s heart hammered wildly in his chest. He exhaled and surveyed the Hall of Columns before passing the Respawn Altar and heading out.
It didn’t feel great that every time he returned to the game, he had to emerge through a lady’s leg.
Either way, Lucien tried not to dwell on it. The sun blazed radiant today, and as he stepped out of the cave, he felt the warm light caress his cheek. The details with 77% immersion fidelity were astounding. He could only imagine what it would be like with a gaming pod. Although he’d experienced one before, the sensation was easily forgettable.
What worried him instead was the pain sensitivity. He could swear the agony he experienced each time he received head damage was nowhere near 35%—that was far too intense to be 35%.
If that was what 35% felt like, then the Baleron Corps had to be doing something very sketchy... like cranking up pain ratios to torment people.
’But why would they do that?’
Right now, Lucien could find no answer to that question. He summoned the Grey Thread and dismissed his Whitesteel Shroud.
A grey garment materialized over his body. Deep grey ornate frog fastenings marched down the front of the high-collared tunic while the wide sleeves billowed like captured clouds. A silver sash cinched his waist with a soft knot, its twin tassels trailing down, and beneath it, loose-fitting trousers that disappeared behind the length of the garment completed the ensemble.
The entire outfit seemed to shimmer with an ethereal pale glow, as if woven from moonlight itself.
Lucien hadn’t expected anything so radiant. But this was incredible—absolutely incredible. The clothing was comfortable and allowed him to move his hands freely, making him realize just how heavy the Whitesteel Shroud had been. This was practically weightless.